Te Kāpehu Whetū, a Māori-led Kura Hourua (charter school), is opening its doors for the first time in the Auckland CBD this February.
80 spots are set to be filled, with the charter model allowing the school to teach an alternative curriculum that will focus primarily on physical health, technology and academia in a bilingual environment.
Charter schools, formally known as Kura Hourua, were first introduced in Aotearoa under the National-led government in 2014 as part of a confidence and supply agreement with the ACT Party.
The model was designed to give schools greater flexibility over curriculum, staffing and governance, while still being publicly funded and accountable for student outcomes.
Several Māori-led charter schools were established during this period, often targeting learners who had disengaged from mainstream education.
Raewyn Tipene, Principal of Te Kāpehu Whetū in Whangārei, says the model works.
“Kura Kaupapa Māori has its own kaupapa, and Kura ā Iwi. We’re not that different, it’s just another way of resourcing our dreams,” says Tipene.
“When we first started as a charter school, and we got to do it our way, we were in the top quartile of schools, not just kura, around the country... for NCEA and UE... and we were number 2 for UE in Tai Tokerau.”
In 2018, the Labour government phased out the charter school model, citing concerns around accountability and equity, and offered existing schools the option to transition into the state system as designated character or special character schools.
In 2024, the current government reinstated charter schools, arguing the model provided innovation and choice within the education system, particularly for communities seeking alternative approaches to learning.
The renewed framework includes funding for up to 50 schools nationwide, with a focus on improving outcomes for priority learners.
I te mate ki te ora
Ko tētahi wāhanga o te kawenata ki waenga i a Nāhinara me te rōpū ACT, ko te whakaarahia ake o ngā kura hourua i te tau 2024, whai muri i te rerenga o te toki i te ringa o te Kāwanatanga o taua wā, o te rōpū Reipa.
I tana kawenata, ko toha i te pūtea mō te whakatū i ngā kura hourua rima tekau puta noa i te motu, ko Te Kura o Tipene tētahi o aua kura.
Heoi anō, he whā marama noa iho te wā ki a Te Kāpehu Whetū ki Tāmaki kia tika te huakitanga ōna i ōna tatau.
“Charter schools allow a thousand flowers to bloom, and if your particular flower is kaupapa Māori, then that’s ka pai,” says Seymour.
“All the best ideas aren’t contained in one building, being the Ministry of Education. There are people out in different communities who have better ideas for how to engage their kids and educate them, and charter schools allow those people to bring their ideas to the table”.
Hei tā Tākuta Will Flavell, Tumuaki o te kura, ahakoa ngā whakawhiu a te ao Māori i te minita nāna nei ngā kura hourua i whakatū, ko te mātauranga kē te mea nui.
“Kāore au e whakaaro nui ki tērā taha, te taha o te ao tōrangapū. Kei te aro nui kē au ki ngā kaupapa matua o tēnei kura, ngā akonga, te ao Māori, me ērā atu momo wāhanga pai mō mātou.”
I tōna tikanga hei te 10 o Pēpuere huakina ai ngā tatau o te kura.
